Divers Miss Key Element: Diving Boards

Swim coach Loren Price was hoping Northeast's two condemned diving boards would be replaced in time for today's home opener against Pompano Beach and South Plantation.

No such luck. The 9-lane, 25-yard on-campus pool, in need of regulation-size diving boards for four years, cannot host any 1-meter springboard diving events until new boards arrive.

"It's frustrating for the kids and parents," Price said. "We were told any day now, any day now. It's been four years. We found out two years ago we didn't go through proper channels, so we put in the paperwork again. It's still a long time to wait."

The boards are on back order and will eventually be installed by the Broward County School Board's safety division. Diving boards at several other schools, including Cooper City and Deerfield Beach, have been replaced.

"Every one in the county was replaced but ours," Price said. Price learned just last season that the boards were not regulation size. They were six inches too high.

"This is something that should have been done four years ago. We did all we could to get it done. The parents and kids got involved, and it still didn't happen.

"We're glad they were pulled out. The bases were rusty and they were getting a little slippery," Price said. "We didn't want anything serious to happen to any of the divers."

A few years ago Northeast had six divers on its roster. This season the Hurricanes have two, senior Maria Grayson and junior Michael Toomey. Pine Crest coach Don Columbo offered them a place to train. The team is holding a car wash to raise $400 to enable divers to pay for rental time.

Price and his brother Lee, also a swim coach at Northeast, were forced to reschedule home meets with Dillard at Fort Lauderdale High and Cardinal Gibbons at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex.

Had the coaches not been able to have the state-required four home meets, the divers would not have been eligible to compete at the district or state meets.

"At our first two meets we won't be scoring any points in diving, and sometimes you win meets off divers when the meets are close," Price said. "We keep getting assurances, but now we know it's not going to be happening this season."

Price said he was told it will take only four days to install the new boards when they arrive.

CROSS COUNTRY

The girls' team at Pope John Paul II, ranked third in 2A, won the Gator Invitational last weekend. Jacqueline Areson was fourth in 19:16, and 10 seconds behind was teammate Nicole Schappert. Schappert, a two-time state champion in track, is ranked No. 1 in the state in 2A. Areson is ranked ninth. ...

In the Florida Athletic Coaches Association preseason state poll, the South Plantation boys are ranked third in 4A, and No. 1 runner Brandon Calabro is ranked ninth. The St. Thomas girls are ranked second in 3A behind Our Lady of Lourdes.

The Raiders' No. 1 runner, Courtney Marsh, is ranked third. Two-time state track champion Hailey Mercer (1,600 and 3,200 meters) of King's Academy is competing in cross country for the first time and is ranked fourth among 1A runners. Six-time 4A state champion Spanish River is the only local team ranked No. 1 in the state. Cooper City is ranked fifth. ...

Most of the top teams, including Spanish River, will compete in Friday's Boynton Beach Invitational at John Prince Park in Lake Worth.

The meet is attracting several Broward teams that had planned to compete in the Coral Springs Invitational.

The Coral Springs meet was canceled but is expected to return next year at a new site.